1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to telephone switching apparatus. In particular, the present invention is a status recognition and bypass system permitting a service subscriber (customer) to interface directly to a peripheral service (e.g. long distance vendor) thereby bypassing a central office switch network thereby alleviating its load.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The 1984 breakup of AT&T has produced far reaching effects in the telecommunications industry. Two general segments now characterize the industry: Equipment and services. There are now many different companies making a wide variety of telecommunication equipment. While the service segment is now independent, it is divided into two categories. Local telecommunication services are provided by the local phone companies spun off from AT&T, or by one of the many independent local phone companies. Other services, namely long distance services, are provided by a variety of other vendors.
The divestiture has been a boon to equipment manufacturers and providers of specialized services. Equipment manufacturers are developing a wide range of products in an attempt to gain a share of what had been a relatively closed market over which the manufacturing arm of AT&T had control. The equipment market now includes customer-premises equipment such as telephones and PBX's, as well as central-office and toll switches purchased by local phone companies. Service providers such as long-distance vendors now compete to provide services which were provided exclusively by AT&T before devestiture.
Whatever the effects of divestiture on long term competition, it has at least temporarily plunged the telecommunications industry into chaos. Especially hard hit are the local telephone companies. Now that they are out from under the umbrella of AT&T, they are faced with problems integrating their existing switch networks to a wide variety of new customer-premises equipment, and to the many new service providers such as long distance vendors. The divestiture has, therefore, contributed to increased traffic loads of local telephone company switch networks. As a result, these local phone companies are faced with prospects of large capital expenditures for expanded switching facilities.
An alternative to capital expenditures for expanded switching facilities is to make "better" use of those currently installed. Capital expenditures could thereby be eliminated, or at least postponed until the many unsettled issues resulting from divestiture and affecting the decisions are resolved.
It is evident that there is a continuing need for telephone switching apparatus capable of interfacing with currently installed switch networks and alleviating heavy loads thereon. The switching apparatus must be relatively inexpensive so as to present an economically viable alternative to the purchase of expanded switching facilities. Furthermore, the switching apparatus must be extremely flexible and easily adapted to a variety of applications.